It is often very difficult to find the "best" contract. Sometimes you just fall into and sometimes you are pushed into it. Today's hand is an example of the push variation.
South bid three hearts at his second turn in an attempt to reach three no trump. North, while holding good spades, also held very good hearts and had no interest in a no trump contract.
South offered six diamonds and North returned to the heart contract. The king of spades was the opening lead. The ace won in the dummy and declarer called for the ten of diamonds. East played the singleton king. South won the ace and led a small heart to the table. A spade was trumped with the ace of hearts and another small heart was played to the table. When trumps split three-three, twelve tricks came rolling home.
As the cards lie, twelve tricks should be available in hearts or no trump, but the diamond slam will fail when East opens the king of clubs.
District Five of the American Contract Bridge League held the All-American Regional Bridge Tournament in Independence on May 23 - 29. The following players were successful in their respective events on May 27. Other results appeared in previous columns, more well be listed in future columns.
Two Session Open Pairs (72 pairs). Stratum A. 1. Marc Rabinowitz, Hudson, and Bernard Fudor, Murrysville, PA. 2. Peter Grover, Aurora, and Kumar Bhatia, Pepper Pike. Stratum B. 1. Susan Stark, Cleveland, and Bernard Heyman, Shaker Heights. 2. Gary Montain, Westlake, and Donna Largent, Cleveland. Stratum C. 1. Thomas Ball, Lakewood, and Barbara Zink, Olmsted Falls. 2. John and Judy Spooner, Strongsville.
Morning Knockout Teams (6 teams) 1. Martin Baff, Beachwood, Roger Tiktin, Lakewood, Lloyd Loux, Westlake, Richard Rudolph, Westerville, Jim Bachelder, Columbus, and Robert Sulgrove, Spring Valley. 2. Robert Park, Gibsonia, PA, Robert Quinlan, Pittsburgh, William Holt, Sewickley, PA, Jean Prior, Bethel Park, PA, and Constance Hoechstetter, Coraopolis, PA.
Evening Swiss Teams (13 teams). 1. Gail Hanson and Jakob Kristinsson, Lake Orion, MI, Iola Croner, Ambridge, PA, and Sandra Schuchert, Sewickley, PA. 2/3. Frank Treiber III, Toledo, Joseph Ernsthausen, Sylvania, Diane Travis and Joseph Muenks, Cincinnati, with Robert Park, Gibsonia, PA, Constance Hoechstetter, Coraopolis, PA, William Holt, Sewickley, PA, and Robert Quinlan, Pittsburgh.
Afternoon Side Pairs (44 pairs). Stratum A. 1. Donna and Charles Coleman, Youngstown. 2. Lewis Bernard Jr, Solon, and Rosalyn Sukenik, Cleveland. Stratum B. 1. Donald and Helen Brock, Cuyahoga Falls. 2. Joanne Schumacher, Strongsville, Barbara Fear, Cleveland. Stratum C. 1. The Brocks. 2. Bill and Shirley Schaffer, Youngstown.
Evening Side Pairs (17 pairs). Stratum A. 1. Jacqueline Merkel, Lexington, KY, and Patricia Young, Erie, PA. 2. Sharon and Kevin Robertson, Beachwood. Stratum B. 1. The Robertsons. 2. James and Linda Stahl, Chagrin Falls.
Afternoon 299er Pairs (18 pairs). Stratum A. 1. Mady and Richard Kaiser, Solon. 2/3. Frederick and Adele Gottlieb, Gahanna, with Thomas Herrick and Robert Werner, Chagrin Falls. Stratum B. 1. The Kaisers. 2. Roy Larson, Wadsworth, and Dennis Young, Massillon. Stratum C. 1. David and Lucy Poeppelman, Ottawa, 2. Ellen Miles and Barbara Tuber, Beachwood.
Evening 299er Pairs (10 pairs). Strata A & B. 1. Roy
Larson, Wadsworth, and Dennis Young, Massillon. 2. Mary Jane and
Henry Bohl Jr, Pittsburgh. Stratum C. 1. Larson and Young. 2.
Mike and Bobbie Varble, Solon.
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Bernstein is
a free-lance writer in Solon.
To reach Harvey Bernstein:
hjb0416@yahoo.com